Elephanta nights

The only time you can indulge in a night tour of Elephanta Island, with its fabulous rock-cut temples at the Elephanta Caves, is during the annual festival of classical music and dance hosted by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.

Located off Mumbai, this UNESCO World Heritage site is a popular getaway for daytrips. But a festival of this kind proves additionally delightful for those starved of such live performances in ‘Maximum City'. Foreign tourists eager to explore the cultural heritage of the country are largely drawn to such events.

This year's festival, held on the first weekend of this month, was much awaited, coming as it did after a two-year hiatus following the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Inaugurated by the Maharashtra Public Works and Tourism Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, the festival saw visitors packing the open auditorium created on the hillside.

‘Prakruti (nature), Shakti (power) and Bhakti (worship)' was the festival's theme this year, and Kuchipudi took centre stage on Day One. A performance by Dr Raja and Radha Reddy was followed by Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma on the santoor.

The journey is part-reward

We set out for the island on Day Two of the festival. The sedate and soothing ferry ride from the Gateway of India, leaving behind the madness of Mumbai, can be a reward in itself. The ferry cutting through the silent sea had a magic, soothing power.

The sight of an occasional flock of birds, and the other boats and yachts on the water keeps you engaged throughout the more than hour-long ride, which gently lulls you into calmness and leaves you wishing for a longer ride.

Greeting visitors at the ferry landing is a ‘toy train', rickety enough to rattle anyone out of their newly acquired tranquillity on the ferry ride. But as though to make up for that, the train ride is utterly picturesque with the sea stretched out on both sides of it.

The island is richly wooded, but there are no beaches, nor resorts or hotels of any kind as visitors cannot stay here overnight. But you can easily enjoy a picnic on the grounds surrounding the caves.

There are several monkeys here competing with visiting families for the contents of their picnic basket.

Lining the narrow path leading to the caves are a series of pavement shops, the kind you find at every tourist spot. T-shirts screaming ‘I love Mumbai' and ‘I was at Elephanta' vie for attention alongside artefacts crafted out of marble, metal and wood. Door handles engraved with traditional motifs are a big draw.

The caves filled with awe-inspiring sculptures and other stonework are of two kinds — one group dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and a second group representing Buddhism.

Befitting backdrop, bewitching music

A banyan tree that has survived the vagaries of time and nature provides the setting for the open-air auditorium. In the backdrop is the magnificent stone sculpture of the three-faced Shiva, illuminated tastefully.

The evening's Bharatanatyam performance began with Pushpanjali, followed by Siva Slokam and the entry of the dancer, Geeta Chandran, on stage. She was supported by Sharanya ( nattai varnam ), Vasanthi Krishnarao (vocal), Thanjavur R. Kesavan (mridangam) and G. Raguraman (flute).

Experiencing a live classical performance is a treat by itself, rendered all the more special by the exquisite settings — a heritage island buffeted by a gentle sea-breeze and fresh mountain-air.

As Geeta Chandran interpreted Kalidasa's poetry in motion, of peacocks celebrating the onset of monsoon, it was a celebration of culture in the lap of nature. We're waiting for next year's festival.

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